Welcome to the Irish Centre for Galician Studies website!

Exchange and travel are two essential facts of the historical evolution of a territory which, throughout the centuries, has become what we now know as Galicia: from the Irish legends of the Sons of Mil, Breogan and the Tower, to the wandering hordes of emigrants sung by Rosalía de Castro, and the pilgrims’ footsteps on the Way of St James. Both the paths of the land, which linked us to continental Europe, and the paths of the sea, which connected us with the islands and America, provided Galician culture with new social, cultural and political expressions that have consolidated a 21st century society with a unique and strong sense of identity.

The Irish Centre for Galician Studies was created by Professor David Mackenzie in 1998 by mutual agreement between UCC and the Galician government - the Xunta de Galicia, and it is one more port on our nautical charts, one of the doors leading to the marvellous worlds of our legends, a ‘lay-it-down-pick-it-up route’ between Galicia and Ireland. The role of the Centre for Galician Studies is to afford the UCC community the necessary tools to approach Galicia and its cultural heritage using the most appropriate route. Currently directed by Dr Martín Veiga, the Centre is also a space that fosters the development of cultural and academic debate through the organisation of conferences, seminars, readings, symposia and the active participation in other national and international events.

The library of the Irish Centre for Galician Studies offers a wide selection of books, dictionaries and audiovisual material related to Galician culture. Therefore, it is an unquestionable point of reference for every person with an interest in Galician language, history, literature and culture. The collection is readily available to students, researchers, academics and writers working throughout Ireland. The fact that it is the only library specialised in Galician Studies in the whole country serves to further enhance its importance.

For more information on the Centre’s activities please feel free to contact:

Dr Martín Veiga - Director of Irish Centre for Galician Studies

or

Carla García Sante - Assistant Director of the Irish Centre for Galician Studies

Images courtesy of Fundación Luís Seoane